Sensitivity to information upscaling of agro-ecological assessments: Application to soil organic carbon management

Upscaling of agro-ecological indicators applied in regional analyses is sensitive to scale issues of the input data. This study develops a methodology to quantify this sensitivity for an indicator of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics at the farming system level. A reference case consists of seven fully described farms in northern Italy. Both upscaling in complexity by substituting measured input with estimated input and upscaling in space by extending the methods to farms not included in the reference case are addressed. The indicator increased with 3-107% at four farms after substituting measured management input with that estimated by an expert, whereas it remained unchanged or decreased at the other three farms. Taking the modal value from a cluster of pedological input did not lead to additional uncertainty in most cases, and only slightly increased it in others. We evaluated spatial upscaling by including 733 farms divided in 18 clusters that were described with less information as compared to the reference farms. Within each cluster, we observed relevant variability of the indicator (coefficients of variation of 12-43%), as a consequence of the heterogeneity of farms comprised in each cluster. In each cluster we calculated the indicator for one virtual farm, defined by using modal values for basic farm inputs. In this case the indicator was highly correlated (R² = 0.98) with the average of the values obtained using measured basic farm inputs. We conclude that upscaling in complexity and space introduces uncertainty in the values of the indicator compared to the reference case. The extent of such differences depends on the variability of the systems under analysis and on indicator sensitivity.     

Environmental impacts from herbicide tolerant canola production in Western Canada

The commercial production of herbicide tolerant (HT) canola began in Western Canada in 1997. With more than a decade of use, the actual farm-level environmental impact of HT canola can be evaluated. This article reports on a spring 2007 survey of nearly 600 canola farmers in the three prairie provinces of Western Canada. Producers were asked about their crop production experiences for 2005 and 2006 and expected crop planting for 2007. A reduction in the total number of chemical applications over the 3-year period was reported, resulting in a decrease of herbicide active ingredient being applied to farmland in Western Canada of nearly 1.3 million kg annually. Fewer tillage passes over the survey period were reported, improving moisture conservation, decreasing soil erosion and contributing to carbon sequestration in annual cropland. An estimated 1 million tonnes of carbon is either sequestered or no longer released under land management facilitated by HT canola production, as compared to 1995. The value of this carbon off-set is estimated to be C$5 million. Comparisons with similar studies and against non-adoption of HT canola can guide future decisions about HT canola adoption.     

5种碳源对核盘菌丝生长及菌核形成的影响

[目的]探究5种碳源对核盘菌菌丝生长和菌核形成的影响。[方法]设固体培养条件下5种碳源(葡萄糖、淀粉、甘油、甘露醇、乙醇)和空白对照,3次重复,观测不同浓度(2%、4%、8%、16%、20%)碳源对核盘菌的菌丝生长和菌核产生的影响。[结果]碳源种类及浓度对核盘菌的菌丝生长和菌核形成均有较大影响。葡萄糖和淀粉是核盘菌的适宜的碳源,既适合于菌丝营养生长也适合于菌核形成,但菌丝生长和菌核形成的最适浓度不一致;甘油、甘露醇和乙醇3种碳源适宜于菌丝营养生长,但抑制菌核的形成。[结论]该研究为找到可以控制核盘菌生长或菌核形成的靶标位点提供了依据。     

潮棕壤不同利用方式有机碳剖面分布及碳储量

 对潮棕壤水稻田、玉米地、撂荒地和人工林地4种土地利用方式经过14年后在0～150 cm土体10个土层中土壤有机碳含量的剖面分布、C/N及有机碳储量进行比较研究。结果表明，不同利用方式下土壤有机碳含量产生明显的剖面分布差异。林地各土层有机碳含量较其它几种利用方式高，表明不同利用方式对土壤碳产生较大影响；土壤有机碳与全氮极显著相关，但自然生态系统中碳与氮的相关性略高于农田生态系统（林地R 2=0.990，撂荒地R 2=0.990，稻田R 2=0.976，玉米地R 2=0.980，P < 0.001，n =30）；剖面中C/N随深度而下降，林地C/N较高，稻田C/N较低，玉米地与撂荒地相应土层中C/N相近；在100 cm深度内，林地土壤分别比稻田、玉米地、撂荒地每年多截获4.25、2.87和 4.48 t·ha-1有机碳，年增幅分别为6.15%、3.26%和 5.09%；林地有机碳储量显著高于稻田、玉米地和撂荒地（P值分别达到0.001、0.008和0.008），其它3种利用方式间差异不显著。据此认为林地在增加碳储量及改善环境方面具有很大的潜力。     

Stable isotope N and C labelling of different functional groups of earthworms and their casts: A tool for studying trophic links

Earthworms (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) have substantial effects on the structure and fertility of soils with consequences for the diversity of plant communities and associated ecosystem functions. However, we still lack a clear understanding of the functional role earthworms play in terrestrial ecosystems, partly because easy-to-use methods to quantify their activities are missing. In this study, we tested whether earthworms and their casts can be dual-labelled with ¹⁵N and ¹³C stable isotopes by cultivating them in soil substrate amended with ¹⁵N ammonium nitrate and ¹³C-glucose. Additionally, we also wanted to know whether (i) earthworms from different functional groups (soil-feeders vs. litter-feeders) and their casts would differ in their incorporation of stable isotopes, (ii) if enrichment levels are higher if the same amount of isotopes is applied in one dose or in staggered doses, and (iii) if isotopic enrichment in casts changes when they are stored in a conditioning cabinet or in a pot filled with soil placed in a greenhouse. Our findings show the feasibility of dual-labelling tissues and casts of both litter-feeding (Lumbricus terrestris) and soil-feeding (Aporrectodea caliginosa) earthworms using the same method. The advantage of this method is that earthworms and their casts can be labelled under realistic conditions by cultivating them for only four days in soil that received a one-time addition of commercially available stable isotopes instead of offering labelled plant material. In earthworms, the isotopic enrichment remained at a stable level for at least 21 days; labelled casts could be stored for at least 105 days without significantly decreasing their isotopic signals. This simple and efficient method opens new avenues for studying the role of these important ecosystem engineers in nutrient cycling and their functional relationships with other organisms.     

Regulated deficit irrigation effects on growth, yield, grape quality and individual anthocyanin composition in Vitis vinifera L. cv. ‘Tempranillo’

Regulated Deficit Irrigation (RDI) is an irrigation scheduling technique, originally developed for fruit orchards, that has been successfully adapted for winegrape production. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effect of RDI in vegetative growth, yield and harvest quality in ‘Tempranillo’ vineyards grown under semiarid conditions typical in Mediterranean areas. Two RDI strategies were compared with conventional irrigation practices (CI). CI that consisted in a progressive increase in water deficit as summer progressed, whereas RDI strategies (RDI1 and RDI2) had in common a deficit period just after fruit set and, in RDI2, vines were subjected to an additional stress period shortly after veraison. The experiment was carried out in four consecutive seasons in a commercial vineyard.Water stress at the beginning of berry development resulted in an important reduction of both vegetative growth and berry weight in RDI strategies. No differences in sugar concentration were found between treatments, and RDI berries tended to have lower acidity. The most relevant effect of RDI strategies on grape quality was an increase in anthocyanin and phenolics concentration. In RDI1 berries, this increase was mainly an indirect consequence of smaller berry size. However, in the RDI2 treatment the higher berry anthocyanin concentration reported was not exclusively due to a reduction in berry size. Since harvest quality has been clearly improved by any of the RDI strategies in both years, it can be concluded that RDI constitutes an interesting technique to be applied in ‘Tempranillo’ vineyards grown in semiarid areas aiming to obtain high quality grape.     

Changes in the genetic structure of Bacteria and microbial activity in an agricultural soil amended with tannery sludge

The application of tannery sludge to soils is a form of recycling; however, few studies have examined the impacts of this practice on soil microbial properties. We studied effects of two applications (2006 and 2007) of tannery sludge (with a low chromium content) on the structure of the bacterial community and on the microbial activity of soils. We fertilized an agricultural area in Rolândia, Paraná state, Brazil with different doses of sludge based on total N content, which ranged from 0 to 1200 kg N ha⁻¹. Sludge remained on the soil surface for three months before being plowed. Soils were sampled seven times during the experiment. Bacterial community structure, assessed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), was modified by the application of tannery sludge. Soon after the first application, there was clear separation between the bacterial communities in different treatments, such that each dose of sludge was associated with a specific community. These differences remained until 300 days after application and also after the second sludge application, but 666 days after the beginning of the experiment no differences were found in the bacterial communities of the lowest doses and the control. The principal response curve (PRC) analysis showed that the first sludge application strongly stimulated biological activity even 300 days after application. The second application also stimulated activity, but at a lower magnitude and for a shorter time, given that 260 days after the second application there was no difference in biological activity among treatments. PRC also showed that the properties most influenced by the application of tannery sludge were enzymatic activities related to N cycling (asparaginase and urease). The redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that tannery sludge’s influence on microbial activity is mainly related to increases in inorganic N and soil pH. Results showed that changes in the structure of the bacterial community in the studied soils were directly related to changes of their biological activity.     

The effect of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration on emissions of nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and methane from a wheat field in a semi-arid environment in northern China

There are no reports on the effects of elevated carbon dioxide [CO₂] on the fluxes of N₂O, CO₂ and CH₄ from semi-arid wheat cropping systems. These three soil gas fluxes were measured using closed chambers under ambient (420 ± 18 μmol mol⁻¹) and elevated (565 ± 37 μmol mol⁻¹) at the Free-Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment experimental facility in northern China. Measurements were made over five weeks on a wheat crop (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Zhongmai 175). Elevated [CO₂] increased N₂O and CO₂ emission from soil by 60% and 15%, respectively, but had no significant effect on CH₄ flux. There was no significant interaction between [CO₂] and N application rate on these gas fluxes, probably because soil N was not limiting. At least 22% increase in C storage is required to offset the observed increase in greenhouse gas emissions under elevated [CO₂].     

Denitrification potential of intermittently saturated floodplain soils from a subtropical perennial stream and an ephemeral tributary

Denitrification has the potential to remove excess nitrogen from groundwater passing through riparian buffers, thus improving water quality downstream. In regions with markedly seasonal precipitation, transient stream flow events may be important in saturating adjacent floodplain soils and intermittently providing the anaerobic conditions necessary for denitrification to occur. In two experiments we characterised the denitrification potential of soils from two contrasting floodplains that experience intermittent saturation. We quantified under controlled laboratory conditions: 1) potential rates of denitrification in these soils with depth and over time, for a typical period of saturation; and 2) the influences on rates of nitrate and organic carbon. Treatments differed between experiments, but in each case soil-water slurries were incubated anaerobically with differing amendments of organic carbon and nitrate; denitrification rates were measured at selected time intervals by the acetylene-block technique; and slurry filtrates were analysed for various chemical constituents. In the first experiment (ephemeral tributary), denitrification was evident in soils from both depths (0-0.3 m; 0.3-1.1 m) within hours of saturation. Before Day 2, mean denitrification rates at each depth were generally comparable, irrespective of added substrates; mean rates (Days 0 and 1) were 5.2 ± 0.3 mg N kg dry soil⁻¹ day⁻¹ (0-0.3 m) and 1.6 ± 0.2 mg N kg dry soil⁻¹ day⁻¹ (0.3-1.1 m). Rates generally peaked on Days 2 or 3. The availability of labile organic carbon was a major constraint on denitrification in these soils. Acetate addition greatly increased rates, reaching a maximum in ephemeral floodplain soils of 17.4 ± 1.8 mg N kg dry soil⁻¹ day⁻¹ on Day 2: in one deep-soil treatment (low nitrate) this overcame differences in rates observed with depth when acetate was not added, although the rate increase in the other deep-soil treatment (high nitrate) was significantly less (P ≤ 0.01). Without acetate, peak denitrification rates in this experiment were 6.9 ± 0.4 and 2.8 ± 0.2 mg N kg dry soil⁻¹ day⁻¹ in surface and deep soils, respectively. Differences in rates were observed with depth on all occasions, despite similar initial concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at both depths. Levels of substrate addition in the second experiment (perennial stream) more closely reflected natural conditions at the site. Mean denitrification rates were consistently much higher in surface soil (P ≤ 0.001), while the source of water used in the slurries (surface water or groundwater from the site) had little effect on rates at any depth. Mean rates when all treatments retained nitrate were: 4.5 ± 0.3 mg N kg dry soil⁻¹ day⁻¹ (0-0.3 m depth); 0.8 ± 0.3 mg N kg dry soil⁻¹ day⁻¹ (0.3-1.0 m); and 0.6 ± 0.1 mg N kg dry soil⁻¹ day⁻¹ (1.8-3.5 m). For comparable treatments and soil depths, denitrification potentials at both sites were similar, apart from higher initial rates in the ephemeral floodplain soils, probably associated with their higher DOC content and possibly also their history of more frequent saturation. The rapid onset of denitrification and the rates measured in these soils suggest there may be considerable potential for nitrate removal from groundwater in these floodplain environments during relatively short periods of saturation.     

Rhizosphere priming of soil organic matter by bacterial groups in a grassland soil

Plants often impact the rate of native soil organic matter turnover through root interactions with soil organisms; however the role of root-microbial interactions in mediation of the “priming effect” is not well understood. We examined the effects of living plant roots and N fertilization on belowground C dynamics in a California annual grassland soil (Haploxeralf) during a two-year greenhouse study. The fate of ¹³C-labeled belowground C (roots and organic matter) was followed under planted (Avena barbata) and unplanted conditions, and with and without supplemental N (20 kg N ha⁻¹ season⁻¹) over two periods of plant growth, each followed by a dry, fallow period of 120 d. Turnover of belowground ¹³C SOM was followed using ¹³C-phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) biomarkers. Living roots increased the turnover and loss of belowground ¹³C compared with unplanted soils. Planted soils had 20% less belowground ¹³C present than in unplanted soils after 2 cycles of planting and fallow. After 2 treatment cycles, unlabeled soil C was 4.8% higher in planted soils than unplanted. The addition of N to soils decreased the turnover of enriched belowground ¹³C during the first treatment season in both planted and unplanted soils, however no effect of N was observed thereafter. Our findings suggest that A. barbata may increase soil C levels over time because root and exudate C inputs are significant, but that increase will be moderated by an overall faster C mineralization rate of belowground C. N addition may slow soil C losses; however, the effect was minor and transient in this system. The labeled root-derived ¹³C was initially recovered in gram negative (highest enrichment), gram positive, and fungal biomarkers. With successive growing seasons, the labeled C in the gram negative and fungal markers declined, while gram positive markers continued to accumulate labeled belowground C. The rhizosphere of A. barbata shifted the microbial community composition, resulting in greater abundances of gram negative markers and lower abundances of gram positive, actinobacteria and cyclopropyl PLFA markers compared to unplanted soil. However, the longer-term utilization of labeled belowground C by gram positive bacteria was enhanced in the rhizosphere microbial community compared with unplanted soils. We suggest that the activities of gram positive bacteria may be major controllers of multi-year rhizosphere-related priming of SOM decomposition.